[BAA Comets] 2017 S3

[Andrew Robertson]

Morning Nick.

I got a visual on it last night (1am BST) from Norfolk with my 12" D-K Mewlon. It was a battle between the skies getting darker but that gibbous moon which had risen half an hour earlier getting higher above the tree line.

I tracked it down manually, couldn't see it in my 11x70 finder nor 15 x 70 bins. Could detect it in my Vixen 4" F9 fluorite refractor at low power. Obvious and easy in the 12" D-K.

I estimate the visual magnitude at mag 9.2. I will forward you a sketch and complete report shortly.

Andrew

-----Original Message-----
From: Comets-disc [mailto:comets-disc-bounces at lists.britastro.org] On Behalf Of Nick James
Sent: Wednesday, July 4, 2018 7:12 AM
To: BAA Comets discussion list <comets-disc at britastro.org>
Subject: Re: [BAA Comets] 2017 S3

Please keep this comet under observation and submit magnitude reports promptly. Recent images are in our archive here:

http://www.britastro.org/cometobs/2017s3/index.html

and a chart of its position over the next couple of months is attached.

Nick.


On 04/07/2018 06:10, seargent at ozemail.com.au wrote:
> 
> The sudden surge in brightness would be atypical for a dynamically new 
> comet, but I suppose that this one could be a "pseudo-new" object, 
> i.e. a dynamically evolved comet that was  ejected to Oort Cloud 
> distances following a previous perihelion passage. Unlikely I think, 
> but if that happens to be true, the survival prospects of this comet 
> would look a lot better!Cheers,David
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "BAA Comets discussion list"
> To:"BAA Comets discussion list"
> Cc:
> Sent:Tue, 3 Jul 2018 21:06:42 +0000
> Subject:[BAA Comets] 2017 S3
> 
> 	Although there is talk of 2017 S3 being bright because of an 
> outburst, it may just be brightening a little more rapidly than 
> expected.  Observers are suggesting that it is diffuse, yet for a 
> recent outburst it should be well condensed.  I'll need some more 
> observations before making any predictions, but I might be prepared to 
> get up early at the beginning of August.  The comet is not well placed 
> at perihelion or afterwards.
> 
>     Regards,
> 
>   Jonathan Shanklin

> 
> 
> 
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